anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Posted 13 years ago
Hi everyone,
Just checking out this general route (3-4 weeks long) and have a few questions.
Firstly I'm wondering about the ticket. I know that the interrail ticket doesn't work in Albania, and that the Balkan pass won't work in all these countries, however which ticket do you think would be best value?
Secondly I am wondering about buses. What is the bus situation like in Albania- prices, reliability etc? Would the trains be better? Also, judging by the map there is no direct train link between Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is it possible to get a bus from Bar/Podgorica to Mostar and what price range would this be?
And finally what is your opinion on this route? If you have been to any of these places are there any suggestions you could make about other places to see/places you would not recommend, or changes to the route?
Thanks in advance for any replies and any help you can give! :D
Oh sorry one last thing! I would be looking to fly home from Zadar, what would be the quickest/cheapest way to get from Sarajevo to Zadar?
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
Hi
Looks like a great route. As far as I am aware there is no international land transport into or out of Albania. You would need to get a bus to the border, a taxi accross the border and then another but on the other side. Therer are only a couple of train line in Albania, and they might be worth a trip on just for the experience. They are meant to be incredibly delapidated! Everything in Albania will be cheap. Expect to use dolmus more than busses, which are minivan type things that leave when they are full.
You certainly can get a bus from Bar to Mostar - though my advice would be to skip Bar and Podgorica and head straight for Kotor. I cant remember the price exactly, but I think it was less than €20.
I probably wouldnt recommend an IR ticket for this route, simply because you will spend so much time on busses and when you do get on the train it will be very cheap. You have to do the Mostar/Sarajevo train though - it's fantastically scenic. From Sarajevo to Zadar its probably quickest by bus, but there is a daily train running up to Zagreb that you might want to investigate.
If you get the chance when your in Skopje take a day trip up to Pristina, its meant to be well worth it
Simon
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Thanks for the reply!
Was thinking that I might add in a stop in Dubrovnik before heading up towards Mostar. Ideally I'd love to continue from Sarajevo on up to Austria and Switzerland but at the moment its just not possible with time/money constraints.
Also, just wondering does anyone have any info about Nis/Southern Serbia? Not sure if I will actually stop here, been to Northern Serbia before and loved it but haven't heard much about the south.
Anyone have a rough estimate for day to day spending money in this region? Been checking out some hostels (hostelworld) but they seem a bit pricey at 12-15 euro for a dorm bed
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
Yeah, Serbia is not as cheap as neighbouring Bulgaria or Macedonia. There arent many hostels along the coast in Montenegro - we just turned up and there were people waiting at the bus station offering us rooms!
I've spend several hours in Nis, but only seen the train station (and the staff canteen, long story...) but I have friends who have been who said it was cool.
We used to eat out a lot when in Eastern Europe so would probably spend €15 a day on top of the hostel. But you can obviously do it cheaper if you stick to Burek and cook for yourself.
In Mostar, stay in Hostel Majdas. In Sarajevo stay in HCC, both are excellent